Pickett Crash Victim: We are not OK.

[AtlPackFan]

Link to story from packersnews.com. Not a good way to make a first impression in your new town of employment

http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060801/PKR01/60801071/1989

[woodbuck27]

Attention!! :idea:

Packers PR Dept. !!!!

That isn't a very good story.

[Rastak]

Link to story from packersnews.com. Not a good way to make a first impression in your new town of employment

http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060801/PKR01/60801071/1989


Man, that's not a good thing. Those folks got pretty beat up. I guess what Pickett meant by "everyone's alright" is "nobody is dead"

[ND72]

you know...not that i'm taking a Packers side to this, or trying to be a dick...but the evening news the night this happened, said all parties walked away from the accident, and there were no major injuries......so where did this all come from? It's hard not to come off as a jerk i guess towards the "other" car of the accident, but just all of it is wow...."she's going to need plastic surgery"? geez! that must have been one brutal car accident.

[Rastak]

you know...not that i'm taking a Packers side to this, or trying to be a dick...but the evening news the night this happened, said all parties walked away from the accident, and there were no major injuries......so where did this all come from? It's hard not to come off as a jerk i guess towards the "other" car of the accident, but just all of it is wow...."she's going to need plastic surgery"? geez! that must have been one brutal car accident.

The initial story said the other person's car was totalled and the damage was shocking...I guess this seems to confirm it was pretty bad crash. I wonder how fast they were going when Pickett pulled out in from of them?

[Oscar]

I hope that the folks that were injured are truly ok. But after reading the article I'd say they have the foundation laid for a solid law suit.

[MJZiggy]

It's just that a reporter somewhere has their story wrong. Either they walked away or were taken to the hospital and it should be on the police report and hospital records. If she has broken knees, she did not walk away and the initial reporter is a boob for not checking his facts before turning in his story. I never heard that anyone but Pickett walked away from it.

[ND72]

agreed....here's my thinking...have any of you pulled out of the exit where the players parking lot is? it's hard to really pull out of there too fast...but how fast must Pickett have been going?

[Tony Oday]

Im stuck behind a firewall can someone paste and copy?

[Willard]

Im stuck behind a firewall can someone paste and copy?

Here you go...

Posted August 1, 2006

Pickett crash victim: We’re not OK

By Dylan B. Tomlinson
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers

When Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Ryan Pickett was in a car accident on Saturday in front of Lambeau Field, he was able to go home, get some rest and return to practice Sunday morning.


Pickett may be fine after suffering a minor concussion, but the driver and the passengers in the other vehicle involved in the accident have a long recovery in store.

Pam Young, 37, of Green Bay was driving the 1994 Dodge Spirit that Pickett hit and remains in St. Vincent Hospital. Young said she doesn’t know when she’ll be able to go home.

“I’ve got four pins in one knee. The other’s fractured. I have two pins in my left wrist and it’s dislocated pretty badly,” Young said. “I have no way of walking and no way of getting around. The doctors tell me it will be four to six months of healing.”

Young, a student at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, may have gotten the worst of the crash, but she wasn’t the only person injured. Her daughter, Melanie Young, 16, a student at West High School, suffered deep lacerations to her nose and face.

“She’s going to have to have plastic surgery,” Young said. “She’s also having problems with her wrist.”

Elias Freeman, 18, and Paul Peterson, 31, both of Green Bay, also were injured in the accident.

According to Young, Freeman fractured his skull and passed out after the accident.
“They took him with my daughter to St. Mary’s, but after the doctors saw that there was blood in his head, they brought him over (to St. Vincent’s) and had him in (intensive care),” Pam Young said. “Right after the accident they were the most concerned about him because of the head injury.”
Young said Peterson tore ligaments in his shoulder, had a concussion and had to have stitches.

Pam Young is the only accident victim still in the hospital.

The accident occurred on Saturday when Pickett tried to make a left turn out of the Lambeau Field parking lot onto Lombardi Avenue. Young said it happened so quickly that she had no time to react. Pickett was issued a citation for failing to yield while making a left turn, according to the police report.

“We were just driving down Lombardi toward the Resch Center when he pulled out of the stadium,” Young said. “There’s no way he looked before he pulled out. We have five or six witnesses who saw it who will say the same thing.”

Young said she has received no indication that Pickett or any member of his family has tried to contact any of the accident victims to find out how they’re doing.

“I haven’t talked to anybody and nobody has told me that he’s tried to call any of us.” Young said.

Young said she plans to meet with an attorney soon.

and said all four of the parties involved in the accident will sue Pickett for injuries suffered in the accident.

“None of us can work,” Young said. “He’s fine, but we’re the ones who will be dealing with the pain and recovery for the next several months.”

Pickett was unavailable for comment Tuesday. On Sunday Pickett gave every indication that the injuries suffered by the people in the car he hit were relatively minor.

“It could have been so much worse. It’s a blessing that it’s not. It looked bad if you just saw the cars,” Pickett said. “My main concern was them. They could have been a lot worse off. I’m just happy that they’re all right.”

Young said there typically isn’t much sympathy for anyone who is involved in an accident with a Packers player.
“I’m very aware of what the people around here are going to say. I know this whole thing is about to get very interesting. We’re the little people involved in all of this, but after the accident all anyone seemed to care about is that (Pickett) is OK. We want people to know that there were people who were severely hurt in that accident.”

Young said she’s dealing with her injuries “as well as can be expected” but said she realizes how easily it could have been much worse.

“I don’t know how I’ll feel when I see the car, but they told me the engine was on the front seat,” Young said. “There’s no question we all feel very lucky to be alive.”

Dylan B. Tomlinson covers the Green Bay Packers for the Post-Crescent of Appleton. He can be reached at dtomlins@postcrescent.com.

[the_idle_threat]

Jeffro, I agree with you on this one. I certianly wish them the best in their recoveries, but this article is nothing but lawyer bait.

Nice job by the victim of setting up the damages issue with juicy tidbits like "I’ve got four pins in one knee. The other’s fractured. I have two pins in my left wrist and it’s dislocated pretty badly.” Note: I'm no doctor, but I think if your wrist is still dislocated three days after the accident, you need some new doctors.

I wonder about seatbelt use and how fast they were going given that so many people suffered head trauma, and afterwards, "the engine was on the front seat."

[BF4MVP]

I wonder how fast they were going when Pickett pulled out in from of them?
The speed limit is 35 I believe..I could be wrong though..Some parts of Lombardi it's 35, others it's 45..

[Partial]

you know...not that i'm taking a Packers side to this, or trying to be a dick...but the evening news the night this happened, said all parties walked away from the accident, and there were no major injuries......so where did this all come from? It's hard not to come off as a jerk i guess towards the "other" car of the accident, but just all of it is wow...."she's going to need plastic surgery"? geez! that must have been one brutal car accident.

The initial story said the other person's car was totalled and the damage was shocking...I guess this seems to confirm it was pretty bad crash. I wonder how fast they were going when Pickett pulled out in from of them?

On the other hand though Ras, it doesn't take a lot to total a car from 1994.

[Partial]

Beat me to it Willard :razz:

[retailguy]

I wonder how fast they were going when Pickett pulled out in from of them?
The speed limit is 35 I believe..I could be wrong though..


That's an awful lot of damage for one car doing 35 and the other pulling out of a parking lot. Jeez.

Something is not right with the info that's been released. The public is missing some details.

Good thing Pickett has some cash. He'll be needing it whether she's hurt bad or not.

[BlueBrewer]

I'm sure that Pickett was driving an Escalade or a Hummer or something huge, because he is huge. I don't think that it would take much to mess up a dodge spirit, that thing was smaller that the Neon. I could probably lift the back end myself. I imagine you would need a shoe horn and a tub of crisco to get the three people in the car in the first place.

[Willard]

I think some of the initial comments regarding the accident downplayed the seriousness of the accident which is why we fans are somewhat taken by surprise.

Exerpts from the July 29 article:
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=477922

************
Packers coach Mike McCarthy did not elaborate on Pickett's injuries but said he thought they weren't serious and Pickett wouldn't be sidelined very long.

"Ryan Pickett was in a car accident and just was being looked at by our doctors," McCarthy said. "I think everything's going to be OK. That's where we're at. Minor injuries, as far as I know."
*************
According to the report, four people in the other vehicle were transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Pickett was included among the injured in the accident report but was not taken to the hospital.

Inquiries to several local hospitals seeking the condition of the victims yielded no information.
*****************

Sounds like the crack reporters finally got the info 3 days later (when the lady called them for an interview?).

My guess is if the extent of the injuries was understood by the players there would be less joking around in the locker room about the accident (at least in front of the reporters).

[HarveyWallbangers]

I'm not going to hang the guy for being a bad driver or being a bad driver at that moment. At least, he wasn't going Eddie Griffin on the bit. I bet a lot of us have been at fault in an accident. A lot more than would care to admit. Hopefully, Pickett man ups and admits he was at fault.


"I’m very aware of what the people around here are going to say. I know this whole thing is about to get very interesting. We’re the little people involved in all of this, but after the accident all anyone seemed to care about is that (Pickett) is OK. We want people to know that there were people who were severely hurt in that accident."

I thought this statement was silly. Sounds like somebody with an axe to grind. Oh well! I'm sure it will work out. Since when did every accident result in the victims getting a large cash settlement?

[packiowa]

Does anyone else wonder about the total discussion between the reporter and the victim. The quotes are very, very telling.

List of injuries to all victims
His fault, I've got witnesses
He hasn't called
We can't earn money now
Nobody does or will care for my interests over a Packer
The damage was terrible.

Now, did the woman say nothing else or did the reporter just make her come across as such? I'm guessing the latter.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Now, did the woman say nothing else or did the reporter just make her come across as such? I'm guessing the latter.

I'm guessing you are right. Other stuff wouldn't have been a good read and probably wouldn't have fit on the newspaper page.

[Tony Oday]

best way to handle this would have been keep it out of the public eye and handle it with Pickett, insurance and the packers.

Insurance will have this in court for WELL over 2 years. I bet the P&I firms are salivating over this one.

[BallHawk]

They're milking it for all it's worth. They see they crashed into a player with millions of dollars and think "Man we can make a lot of money off this." If the speed limit there is 35, then she isn't going to have 4 to 6 months of recovery time. Unless.....she was going over the speed limit. As much as I don't mean to be a prick, they're blowing this up as big as it can go. Ok, I'm starting to sound like Ann Coulter, I'll stop now.

[Tony Oday]

Its funny because they will not get a lot of money at all. Pain and Suffering get you precisely dick in the court of law. In WI you guys have medpay so most of the money they do get will be sent to that. Out of the 4 people they will prolly get 10k per person after all is said and done.

[ND72]

i'll take 10k....but not at the expense of breaking my legs.

[Patler]

Posted August 1, 2006

Pickett crash victim: We’re not OK

By Dylan B. Tomlinson
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers


Young said she has received no indication that Pickett or any member of his family has tried to contact any of the accident victims to find out how they’re doing.

“I haven’t talked to anybody and nobody has told me that he’s tried to call any of us.” Young said.



Interesting, because I have an AP article from a Monday morning, July 31 article in front of me that states:

"Pickett said he and his wife, Jennifer, tried Sunday to check on the condition of the riders in the other car."

Of course, the hospital probably would not release any information to him anyway. When an attorney becomes involved they generally advise against any personal contact. I feel reasonably sure the Packers would have advised Pickett to legal advice.

[ND72]

my guess would be that too, that the packers told Pickett to talk with his attorney....my other guess is that hospital room is sponsored by the Green Bay Packers...

[Patler]

Posted August 1, 2006

Pickett crash victim: We’re not OK

By Dylan B. Tomlinson
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers

.....

According to Young, Freeman fractured his skull and passed out after the accident.
“They took him with my daughter to St. Mary’s, but after the doctors saw that there was blood in his head, they brought him over (to St. Vincent’s) and had him in (intensive care),” Pam Young said. “Right after the accident they were the most concerned about him because of the head injury.”
Young said Peterson tore ligaments in his shoulder, had a concussion and had to have stitches.

Pam Young is the only accident victim still in the hospital.

Dylan B. Tomlinson covers the Green Bay Packers for the Post-Crescent of Appleton.

I have to wonder how much the writer is attempting to sensationalize this as well. Has he taken the victims comments out of context to make a story that's compelling? We can't be sure, but if you assembly the information for at least one of the victims, some things don't seem to add up to an uninformed individual such as myself:

-a fractured skull
-passed out
-cranial bleeding
-intensive care
-but not in the hospital two days later???

I'm not a doctor either, but that strikes me as an odd combination of "facts".

[Rastak]

I'm not going to hang the guy for being a bad driver or being a bad driver at that moment.


Hey, I agree, I'm not for hanging the guy, it was an accident. But if he was at fault people got hurt there may be some liability. I don't think is a big story at all. Maybe he forgot to look or thought he had....not a big deal.

[BallHawk]

I would bet $50 that the other driver was going over the speed limit.

[Patler]

I'm not going to hang the guy for being a bad driver or being a bad driver at that moment.


Hey, I agree, I'm not for hanging the guy, it was an accident. But if he was at fault people got hurt there may be some liability. I don't think is a big story at all. Maybe he forgot to look or thought he had....not a big deal.

Yup, that's why most of us carry insurance. We can all encounter liability for something we did not intend, i.e. an accident. Doesn't make us bad people, just maybe careless or distracted for a split second at the wrong time.

[Oscar]

I expect we're all just gonna have to sit back and let the lawyers hash this one out.

[MJZiggy]

They can try suing him all they want, but the liability would be paid by his auto insurance, not the millionaire player. If they are out of work, that's what personal injury/liability insurance covers. I agree with Patler in that you normally don't go from intensive care to the street in two days and as I was watching video on Packers.com, they interviewed Pickett the other day and he said that they tried to call the hospital, though he was rather cheerful considering the circumstances.

[Hester]

Its funny because they will not get a lot of money at all. Pain and Suffering get you precisely dick in the court of law. In WI you guys have medpay so most of the money they do get will be sent to that. Out of the 4 people they will prolly get 10k per person after all is said and done.

Not sure where you're getting your info, but medpay is irrelevant. Granted, it's not like your PIP system in Minnesota, but medpay coverage is issued by the insurer of the auto these 4 people were in, not Pickett's company. Usually medpay limits in Wisconsin are quite low - anywhere from $1,000 to $10k. Health insurance pays the rest (if these people had it). Granted these people would most likely have to reimburse the health ins carrier out of any settlement or award, but that figure is usually a lot less than the actual medical bills, and can usually be reduced further or eliminated altogether depending on the type of policy it is. IF this lady's account of the injuries is true, this case would have a significant value. Probably a case Pickett's insurance company would settle short of litigation, thereby not leaving it up to a jury. I have my doubts - especially about the kid that fractured his skull and had bleeding on the brain. If that's the case, why is this lady (who's the only one talking to the media by the way) the only one that's still in the hospital. I'm sure this thing will sort itself out after the ins co lawyers and the plaintiffs' lawyers get their hands on this thing.

[BallHawk]

Welcome to PR, Hester.

[Tony Oday]

Med Pay actually pays up to that certain amount up to 25k. Then anything after that is paid but you have to pay it all back through the proceeds of the award. The medical bills would actually be MUCH higher than the paralegal or assistant would negotiate with the at fault insurer. The thing is nobody in the accident will have significant reduction in future earnings or severe disfigurement. Therefor the case is not that large.

There is no wrongful death or anything of that nature in this accident at all. The insurance company from pickett will offer like 10k at first IF that much to cover all three. The lawyer for the 4 will say 500k or whatever and in the end after two to three years it may settle but more than likely it will go to trial in which it is illegal in MN and WI to mention insurance in the court during trial. Therefore the jury is more than likely to side with the defendant because they will see them as having to pay all the costs even though the insurance is the one picking up the bill.

When you exhaust the medpay 25k limit and anything over you must pay OR let go and hope that the settlement/award is more than the cost. This cost is taken into account when a settlement is offered.

[Lare]

I would bet $50 that the other driver was going over the speed limit.

Well you know how those 37 year-old college students drive! :neutral:

[packiowa]

Maybe she wants to sue the Packers. That would be "interesting". After all, everybody semed to be very aware of the problem with exiting that lot. They also created the traffic.

Not much of a legal theory given that I don't know the law, but she sure does come across as pointed in her statements.

[CaliforniaCheez]

Look guys this was my line of work for over a decade.
Dealing with injured victims usually auto cases.

Pins in knees are worth money. Pain suffering and mental anguish of a 16 year old female with facial lacerations is worth 10 times that of any guy.

Liability is clear. Who makes a left onto a big street like Lombardi?

The two bodily injury casses are worth over 50K combined now and could be as high as 100K depending on the extent of injuries.

A greasy lawyer will argue the improper design of the Packer parking lot exit and roadway. Suing the City and the Packers can drag on a court case for years which the lawyers for the City and the Packers will enjoy billing hours of work until someone realizes paying the lady and her daughter sooner is better. If there isn't a no left turn sign out there they better have put one up fast.

The best thing would be Pickett's insurance guy meet her in the hospital, pay the hospital, ER, ER doctor, ambulance, radiologist, surgeon, anethesiologist asap. Also her car is totaled that should already have been paid for by now. Call her every other day until released.

She will have a few months of rehabilitation.
The high school girl cannot have scar revision surgery for at least a year and most plastic surgeons will wait 2 years and do the surgery when she is 18.

If Pickett only had a 100k policy the insurance guy would be gathering evidence to pay 100K now and keep the lawyers out of it. Pickett likely has an excess liability policy that has a limit of a million or 2.

It is a big enough case that they should work to keep the lawyers out. Once they are in nothing hardly happens for a year and a half.

In my early days I was scolded for standing up for somebody who did nothing wrong. It cost over 50K in defense lawyer fees before the accuser dropped their b.s. case. The "victim" would have taken 10K 9 months before dropping the suit which would have saved 35K of the 50K in defense fees.

Your insurance rates are high because lawyers use the courts to extort money. The insurance company will have to have a hundred thousand accident free customers to make up for one Pickett. Some people just don't realize the total cost of these things that happen everyday.

Oh and why are the medical bills so high? Medical malpractice cases. Doctors run more tests than necessary to prevent suits and everything they do the price reflects medical malpractice rates they pay. It takes a lot of Doctors without suits to make up for the one who screws up.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Why should there be a no left turn? I've been there on days when there's no game, and on many days that street isn't very busy. Besides, isn't it up to the city government to put up a no left turn sign? If anybody gets sued over that, it's them. When they do get sued, it indirectly affects all taxpayers. I hate greasy lawyers. They act like they are standing up for something when 99% of are all about the benjamins.

[Rastak]

Why should there be a no left turn? I've been there on days when there's no game, and on many days that street isn't very busy. Besides, isn't it up to the city government to put up a no left turn sign? If anybody gets sued over that, it's them. When they do get sued, it indirectly affects all taxpayers. I hate greasy lawyers. They act like they are standing up for something when 99% of are all about the benjamins.


Bottom line? When you are driving down the road with the right of way you should not have someone pull out directly in front of you. Case closed.
Pickett isn't a bad guy I'm sure, it was just an accident but it sounds like HE fucked up and some people got hurt.

[Travbrew]

Why should there be a no left turn? I've been there on days when there's no game, and on many days that street isn't very busy. Besides, isn't it up to the city government to put up a no left turn sign? If anybody gets sued over that, it's them. When they do get sued, it indirectly affects all taxpayers. I hate greasy lawyers. They act like they are standing up for something when 99% of are all about the benjamins.
Who's the 1%?? I don't think i've ever met one!

[HarveyWallbangers]

Bottom line? When you are driving down the road with the right of way you should not have someone pull out directly in front of you. Case closed. Pickett isn't a bad guy I'm sure, it was just an accident but it sounds like HE fucked up and some people got hurt.

Sure, but accidents happen every day. People buy liability insurance for this reason. In fact, in some states you are required to have it. The victims should get their medical bills paid for and whatever costs they directly incurred from this. Not a penny more. Not a penny less. End of discussion.

[Deputy Nutz]

Thats bullshit Harvey. Those people in the dodge spirit just won the lottery, stop raining on their parade.

[MadtownPacker]

What happened to the good old day when FB players would get star treatment? :mrgreen:

To hell with her. Just give her a damn check and she will feel better.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Thats bullshit Harvey. Those people in the dodge spirit just won the lottery, stop raining on their parade.

Too many people think like that... as our legal system continues to go to hell. This one instance would be cool for her, but it's an epidemic. Anybody that gets involved in something that they feel might have "wronged" them in some way is looking for the golden goose or cow or whatever the fuck it is. The problem isn't this one incident. It's that the insurance sure as hell ain't going to incur this cost, so it gets passed onto the consumer, and people wonder why car insurance is outrageous.

[Rastak]

Bottom line? When you are driving down the road with the right of way you should not have someone pull out directly in front of you. Case closed. Pickett isn't a bad guy I'm sure, it was just an accident but it sounds like HE fucked up and some people got hurt.

Sure, but accidents happen every day. People buy liability insurance for this reason. In fact, in some states you are required to have it. The victims should get their medical bills paid for and whatever costs they directly incurred from this. Not a penny more. Not a penny less. End of discussion.

Well, I wonder what tune you'd be singing if it were your wife in rehab for months becuase someone else wasn't paying attention.

I didn't see the police report and I do have sympathy for Pickett in the sense that it was an accident, and could have happened to anyone.

Ryan's insurance is GOING to have to cough up for their pain if he fucked up. Like it or not.

[HarveyWallbangers]

They should cough up for the medical costs and any direct costs. That's what we pay liability insurance for. Anything more than that is just a bunch of bullshit--whether it's me or my wife or whomever. I love how people try to turn it around like that, and make it more personal. If I were the victim, I would want what is fair. I wouldn't be looking to fleece the hell out of somebody. Maybe my standards are just a little higher than the "get rich" folks out there.

I have had a situation relatively similar (although more minor as I only took some stitches to the chops) where I had the choice between doing what I thought was fair or doing something that could have made me more money. I choice the fair route.

[HarveyWallbangers]

And about now, this has turned away from being a Packers discussion.

The Pickett Fence is a bad driver.

[the_idle_threat]

I don't believe for one second the insinuation this victim made that she has not yet met with an attorney. This interview sounds so scripted in terms of fault, damages etc. that she must have at least spoken with an attorney, who told her to get the story out to counter the news stories saying there were only minor injuries. I don't think this was the handiwork of the reporter.

[Rastak]

They should cough up for the medical costs and any direct costs. That's what we pay liability insurance for. Anything more than that is just a bunch of bullshit--whether it's me or my wife or whomever. I love how people try to turn it around like that, and make it more personal. If I were the victim, I would want what is fair. I wouldn't be looking to fleece the hell out of somebody. Maybe my standards are just a little higher than the "get rich" folks out there.

I have had a situation relatively similar (although more minor as I only took some stitches to the chops) where I had the choice between doing what I thought was fair or doing something that could have made me more money. I choice the fair route.


Who the flying fuck said anyone was fleecing the hell out of someone, man you sure jump to conclusions. And most don't need to have it brought personal. A guy normally can see it objectively without that. If someone through their negligence causes you great harm, and I sure as hell would call this great harm, then you may be due damages....I hope karma doesn't hit you on this one. You wouldn't like it.

[Joemailman]

Harvey,

If a negligent driver slammed his vehicle into me and made it impossible for me to do my job, which includes walking 10 miles a day, I think I'd be due more than direct medical costs.

[the_idle_threat]

I tend to agree with Harvey.

There is no argument that lost wages are legitimate costs, in addition to medical bills. Future medical costs and future lost wages are hard to estimate, but those should be considered as well.

I think what sticks in people's collective craw are the "pain and suffering" and "loss of consortium" (read: bullshit) damages that come up. These are lottery-type claims.

How much money---beyond payment for past, current, and future medical costs as already considered---will "cure" your pain and suffering and loss of consortium? No amount of money. And that is exactly what those claims are worth.

[GBRulz]

I think what Harvey is trying to say is that it's BS that people get in a car accident and have the attitude about being set for life with the cash they will receive out of it by suing someone.

Anyhow, there is a median on Lombardi Ave to help cars make left hand turns. Where there isn't a median, you'll find signs that forbid making left hand turns. That really isn't a factor in this accident, but medians do help ease cars wanting to make left turns....instead of darting both lines of incoming traffic, you can do one at a time, so to speak.

Personally, I have witnessed players several times not coming to a stop before turning out of the stadium. It has nothing to do with the design of the parking lot, blocking of scenery, etc. No way should the packers get sued, it's about the players lack of responsibility.

Now from a players standpoint, I have also seen fans run after their vehicles and I don't blame the players for trying to make a quick getaway.

The speed limit on that area of Lombardi is 35 mph and people are pretty good about abiding by it. in fact, it's almost the opposite, people slow down to see the stadium (damn tourists) and drive 20 mph. I have a hell of a hard time believing the extent of her injuries had she been abiding by the speed limit.

Anyhow, about the story, I think it stinks and has lawyer bait written all over it.

[GBRulz]

I'm sure that Pickett was driving an Escalade or a Hummer or something huge, because he is huge. I don't think that it would take much to mess up a dodge spirit, that thing was smaller that the Neon. I could probably lift the back end myself. I imagine you would need a shoe horn and a tub of crisco to get the three people in the car in the first place.

This isn't exactly what I would consider a compact car. It is actually quite a bit bigger than a Neon.

She had to be moving at a pretty good clip for the "engine to be in the front seat" or whatever she said.

http://www.buysell.com/userphotos/BC6435205/2112005_9381717136.jpg

[GrnBay007]

Hope it all gets resolved quickly and the people injured heal quickly and completely. Now, that being said, I think what she said to the press sounded very tacky....made her sound like a gold digger.

[Guiness]

I'm going to stay out of the suing discussion - I'm the other Canadian on the board, so it would be strickly an 'outsiders' view.

What I will comment on is the extent of the injuries - some people have said that they couldn't be caused at the posted speed of 35mph. They certainly could have! 35mph is plenty of speed to do a lot of damage, especially if the front of the car only half hit Picket's vehicle - those types of crashes tend to be the worst.

Has anyone ever been in one of those police demonstration contraptions? They put a seat belt on you, and run a 'sled' to a dead stop from about 4mph. You'll be left with a nice bruise on your chest, and difficulty breathing for an hour or so. At 4mph!

One question I do have - is there a seatbelt law in Wi? If they also didn't have on seatbelts (not mentioned anywhere, that I can see) these types of injuries could've easily occured.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Who the flying fuck said anyone was fleecing the hell out of someone, man you sure jump to conclusions. And most don't need to have it brought personal. A guy normally can see it objectively without that. If someone through their negligence causes you great harm, and I sure as hell would call this great harm, then you may be due damages....I hope karma doesn't hit you on this one. You wouldn't like it.

When the hell did I say the victims shouldn't get damages? I clearly stated their medical bills should get paid for, and by "direct costs" I mean any work time they may miss out on should get reimbursed. I'm talking about anything more than that. I'm talking the "golden cow" sue job that you often see in these types of situations. People that shoot for settlements for hundreds of thousands or sometimes even millions. I hope karma doesn't hit you in the face on this one. I've already been whacked pretty good on a motorcycle--when the person was negligent. They parked in the opposite direction you are supposed to on the rightside of the street and pulled out from behind a van in front of me. I swerved to miss them, and ate some concrete (no helmet--which was legal). I didn't even make a claim. I had the person pay my medical bills (8 stitches to the face) out of pocket. I just wish people would quit "shooting for the moon." You can't tell me it's not affecting insurance premiums.

This person sure sounds like they are angling for a big payout. I find it hard to believe that all of these injuries are as bad as she's making them out to be--when three of the victims were out of the hospital by the next day. Maybe they are badly injured. I hope they get enough to pay for the damages, and not a penny more.

[the_idle_threat]

One question I do have - is there a seatbelt law in Wi? If they also didn't have on seatbelts (not mentioned anywhere, that I can see) these types of injuries could've easily occured.

WI does have a mandatory seatbelt law.

[mraynrand]

I would bet $50 that the other driver was going over the speed limit.

Probably the most surprising thing about the whole story is that a Spirit was going 35 mph. I would have bet $50 tht the car couldn't get up past 25mph.

[Rastak]

This person sure sounds like they are angling for a big payout. I find it hard to believe that all of these injuries are as bad as she's making them out to be--when three of the victims were out of the hospital by the next day. Maybe they are badly injured. I hope they get enough to pay for the damages, and not a penny more.


You assume alot from just reading one article, that's all I'll say. If they come out and say we want 50 million dollars then I'll be on your side. I'm not getting outraged here because there is no reason too. I don't think Pickett is a bad guy because of this nor do I think these other people are a bunch of jerks like you seem to insinuate.

[prsnfoto]

I would bet $50 that the other driver was going over the speed limit.

Probably the most surprising thing about the whole story is that a Spirit was going 35 mph. I would have bet $50 tht the car couldn't get up past 25mph.

And if they didn't have them on alot of the damage is their fault. As far as pickett goes we don't have the police report it may note they were speeding or changed lanes abruptly who knows. I was at fault in my only ticket(accident) of my life for rear ending someone who cut in front of me going 40 in thick traffic and then slammed on the brakes to turn in a parking lot, thats the law fucked up as it may be. I will tell you this the guy tried to say he had permenant neck issues and sued my insurance witnesses testified they thought it was caused by him and I laid rubber to stop and hit him maybe 5 mph my airbag did not deploy, he lost, got nothing except his car paid for, insurance companies don't just hand out money.

[woodbuck27]

LAWSUIT PROBABLE FOR PICKETT

By BOB McGINN and TOM SILVERSTEIN
journalsentinel.com

http://xbc.xanga.com/8e3a4b4a3203370018696/z47066451.jpg

Defensive tackle Ryan Pickett of the Green Bay Packers escaped almost unscathed Saturday after being at fault in a two-car crash but now might face a civil lawsuit for his part in the mishap. "I know this whole thing is about to get very interesting," Young told the newspaper. " We're the little people involved in all of this, but after the accident all anyone seemed to care about is that (Pickett) is OK. We want people to know that there were people who were severely hurt in that accident."

Young, 37, was driving a 1994 Dodge Spirit when it struck the side of a Ford Expedition driven by Pickett. The police report said Pickett stopped at the stop sign leaving the stadium parking lot but apparently didn't see Young. According to Young, she suffered two badly damaged knees and a dislocated wrist. "I have no way of walking and no way of getting around," she said.

"The doctors tell me it will be four to six months of healing. He’s fine, but we’re the ones who will be dealing with the pain and recovery for the next several months."

The passengers in the car, all residents of Green Bay, were Young's daughter, Melanie, 16; Paul Peterson, 31; and Elias Freeman, 18. Pamela Young said her daughter would need plastic surgery because of deep cuts to her nose and face. According to Young, Peterson suffered torn ligaments in his shoulder and a concussion.Young said Freeman suffered a skull fracture and was unconscious after the accident.

“Right after the accident they were the most concerned about him because of the head injury,” she said.

Pickett, a starter for the Packers, is married and the father of two children. “We were just driving down Lombardi toward the Resch Center when he pulled out of the stadium,” Young said. “There’s no way he looked before he pulled out. We have five or six witnesses who saw it who will say the same thing.” Young has plans to meet with an attorney soon

[Creepy]

Too many questions to make a judgement. However, I will anyway. I have some questions for the victim.

1. Were you the driver? (Pickett making a left turn would have put her in the major impact area).

2. If you weren't the Driver, did you have on seat belts? (she claims knees, wrist and head, sounds like sombody was riding without the seat belt on). Nobody else had as major of injuries as her.

In truth, Picket goofed up and his insurance should take care of it. Sueing him because he has money is different. More than likely he has the insurance to cover all medical epxenses and personal epxenses, but believe me she sounds like she wants in the millions. The same reason she feels nobody cares about the victims (he is a Packer), is the same reason she is sueing (Packers make millions).

[GBRulz]

"I have no way of walking or getting around"


Sounds like it's time to call the Scooter Store!!! Perhaps someone could have one of their friendly representatives speak to Ms. Young. heck, why should the attorneys be the only ones to benefit from this, right?

http://www.easymobilityco.com/images/scooters/boxter_10/022%20Boxter%20Red%20Angle.jpg

[Lare]

This lady is a 37-year old college student driving a 1994 Dodge Spirit. Two of the passengers had significant head injuries but both were out of the hospital in a day or so. This should give you an idea of what we're dealing with here.

I'm guessing none of us will be surprised to hear what these people want for a settlement amount.

[the_idle_threat]

http://www.masterpiecepumpkins.com/Graphics/DrEvil%20_orig.JPG

[Creepy]

That depends on what you call a significanthead injury. A laceration that required stitches or concussion. The only person who remained in the hospital was the girl. Her injuries seem extensive and if she were wearing her seatbelt it must have been one hell fo a crash.

Others had some injuries but were out in less than a day, she is the only one behid. The multiple injuries to different areas makes me feel she either wasn't wearing a seat belt or was weaing it incorrectly.

Does anybody know whatthe speed limit is in that area? It sounds like the max would be 35 but I don't know. The best is to let the lawyers handle it, as it will be anyways.

[woodbuck27]

http://www.masterpiecepumpkins.com/Graphics/DrEvil%20_orig.JPG

Good Gaud . . . but your WILD ! :mrgreen:

[woodbuck27]

Defensive tackle Ryan Pickett won't be asked by Thompson to call the four people that suffered significant injuries in a two-car crash Saturday caused by Pickett's failure to yield.

"We discuss a lot of things with our players," Thompson said.

"But this is a grown man we're talking about."

[HarveyWallbangers]

Mum's the word: So far, defensive tackle Ryan Pickett has not responded to a woman's claim that she and the other three passengers in the vehicle that collided with his Ford Expedition Saturday were hurt more than he made it out to be.

Pickett, who was cited for failing to yield while making a left turn just outside Lambeau Field, has not made himself available during the open locker room sessions the past two days.

Pamela Young, 37, of Green Bay, told the Green Bay Press-Gazette on Tuesday that that she felt most of the attention has been on Pickett's injuries and not of those in her car. She said she suffered significant injuries to both knees, and one of the other passengers, an 18 year-old male, lost consciousness after suffering a fractured skull.

She said she has not heard from Pickett.

According to Green Bay police officer Kelly Molitor, who was on the scene and filled out the accident report, Pickett was concerned about the people in the other car and inquired with the first officer on the scene about the well-being of the others.

"That was the first thing out of his mouth," Molitor said.

Molitor said the 18-year-old male didn't lose consciousness but was dazed and officers were concerned he might be going into shock. She said all of the people involved in the accident were able to talk at the scene.

Attempts to reach Young for comment were unsuccessful.

According to the police report, only one of the four occupants in Young's car was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. All were transported to the hospital by ambulance.

The report said Young did not have insurance. Pickett, who suffered a minor head injury, does have insurance.

Young said in the story that she planned to contact an attorney soon.

[the_idle_threat]

Harv, you beat me to it!

[MJZiggy]

Is it legal there to drive without insurance? AND seatbelts? Even if it were, what kind of fool does that? If you don't have the insurance, how stupid do you have to be to not buckle up? I hope she gets laughed out of court.

[Creepy]

If is prove that tseh did not have insurance and was not wearing her seatbelt, then Pickets insurance shuldonly cover cost estimates for injuries she would have received had she been wearing her seatbelt. If it is concluded thathse would havebeen released from the hospital with minor injuries then no money for missed work.

I am sik and tired of non-insured drivers on th eroad. If this had been the other way around and she had cauised an accident, the poor slob who was not at fault wpould have his insurance go up because she didn't have any. neither her or the car should have been on the road.

Now she needs a lawyer so she can recoup what she has lost. The onlything she should get is a tcket for no insurance, a ticket fornot wearing seatbelts and the medical bill for her injuries. She is as much at fault as Picket for them, so she shouldtake responsibilty for them.

[the_idle_threat]

Lack of seatbelts will knock a huge hole in the claim for damages. I hope they haven't already spent those lottery winnings ...

[pittstang5]

What are the laws out there in GB, someone fill me in.

I know here in PA, it's click it or ticket and you also NEED to have car insurance.

[GBRulz]

We have a manadatory seat belt law, yes and in fact, plenty of advertising on TV about how law enforcement is really going to crack down on that and they will pull people over for JUST that reason.

Insurance....also mandatory here, but the problem is, they don't enforce it. I've been pulled over a couple times and not once did I ever have to show proof of insurance.

and Creepy, I totally agree with you about the number of drivers who do not have insurance. I'm sick of it. People like this white trash woman are the reasons we have to carry coverage for uninsured motorists.

I hope she gets her medical bills paid for and not a penny more.

I wonder how many threatening phone calls this woman is getting.

[GBRulz]

Wisconsin's Financial Responsibility Law
Q. Is auto insurance mandatory in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin has a financial responsibility law. It is designed to make sure that any motorist licensed to drive in Wisconsin has insurance or enough money to pay for damages to others that may be caused by a motor vehicle. These requirements may be met through a motor vehicle liability insurance policy, a surety bond, personal funds, or certificate of self-insurance. Details are available at the Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Hill Farms State Office Building, 4802 Sheboygan Ave., Madison, WI 53702.

Q. If I decide to satisfy the financial responsibility requirements of Wisconsin by buying auto insurance, what coverages are required in Wisconsin and what are the minimum limits I can purchase?

If you decide to satisfy the requirements of the Wisconsin Financial Responsibility Law by buying auto insurance, your policy must provide the following minimum liability coverage:

$25,000 for injury or death of one person;
$50,000 for injury or death of two or more people; and
$10,000 for property damage.
The law also requires uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000/$50,000 for bodily injury liability coverage only.

[MJZiggy]

I hope she gets enough to cover what her bills would have been had she been properly restrained. The extra pain and injury is no one's fault but hers.

[GBRulz]

I hope she gets enough to cover what her bills would have been had she been properly restrained. The extra pain and injury is no one's fault but hers.

I agree with that Zig, but how do you prove something like that?

I hope Pickett's lawyers fight this woman in court, but I have a feeling a settlement might be reached just so he can put it behind him. Which of course means, she'll get more than she deserves.

Another thing that really ticked me off....didn't she have her daughter with her in the car? What kind of parent drives without insurance with her own daughter? and it says the daughter is 16....wonder if the daughter has her license and drives that same car....without insurance.

[packers11]

no insurance, and seatbelts.... please this women is lucky to get a penny, I know in Rhode Island (were I live) if you don't have insurance you don't really have a case.......
Example : One of my friends hit this lady in a van, he was going about 10 mph and hit her wheel side of the car.... They went to exchange information, and my friend asked if she wanted to call the cops (it was his fault)... Well well, little did he know the lady did not have insurance and she did not want to get into the case at all and let my friend go (she pleaded to him NOT TO CALL).....

I don't know about the laws in Wisconsin, but if it is required to have insurance than this lady has no chance.......

Maybe this lady is really in pain? who knows, but in my point of view if I am driving a 1994 neon (or whatever that car was) (not trying to stereotype) I think I would want a little upgrade, and a little cash from a rich packer that just got a payday :wink:

[woodbuck27]

[quote=MJZiggy]I hope she gets enough to cover what her bills would have been had she been properly restrained. The extra pain and injury is no one's fault but hers.

" I agree with that Zig, but how do you prove something like that? " GBRulz

I would think that insurance investigators would certainly study the extent of all injuries and ask the question?

Were the people in this Lady's auto wearing seat belts - buckled up?

A seat belt - saved my life.

It is a violation of the LAW in Canada to not be buckled up - driver AND all passenger's in the auto. It is against the LAW to drive without Public Liability and Property Damage coverage.

To get your vehicle registered (your plate - or sticker) you must produce proof of insurance and that your vehicle is safety inspected.

TOUGH LAWS - but 100% on the biscuit !!

[Sparkey]

Only ONE of the four occupants was wearing a seat-belt!

She does not have INSURANCE!


Pickett does have insurance.

[GBRulz]

To get your vehicle registered (your plate - or sticker) you must produce proof of insurance and that your vehicle is safety inspected.

TOUGH LAWS - but 100% on the biscuit !!

Yeah, I've heard of states here requiring that you show proof of insurance before getting your annual registration stickers, but how many get insurance and them immediately cancel it after getting their stickers?

The laws are only tough if they are enforced. Why isn't this lady getting fined up the wazoo for not wearing seatbelts and not having insurance?

[GBRulz]

no insurance, and seatbelts.... please this women is lucky to get a penny, I know in Rhode Island (were I live) if you don't have insurance you don't really have a case.......
Example : One of my friends hit this lady in a van, he was going about 10 mph and hit her wheel side of the car.... They went to exchange information, and my friend asked if she wanted to call the cops (it was his fault)... Well well, little did he know the lady did not have insurance and she did not want to get into the case at all and let my friend go (she pleaded to him NOT TO CALL).....

I don't know about the laws in Wisconsin, but if it is required to have insurance than this lady has no chance.......

Maybe this lady is really in pain? who knows, but in my point of view if I am driving a 1994 neon (or whatever that car was) (not trying to stereotype) I think I would want a little upgrade, and a little cash from a rich packer that just got a payday :wink:

There are plenty of attorneys that still will be more than happy to try this case. Which probably won't cost the lady anything, especially from one just trying to get exposure. Keep in mind here that this lady is talking about CIVIL charges against Pickett. This is Pickett having to fork out $$$ for his own attorney. That is why I think this will come down to an out of court settlement.... Pickett will just want it behind him instead of a long, drawn out jury trial. After Pickett beats this lady, do you think he will have any success in counter suing for his legal costs? This lady would get a judgment slapped against her and he will never see his money anyhow.

For those of your that live in "no-fault" insurance states (FL & MI?) can you explain how exactly that works?

[HarveyWallbangers]

Boy has this turned around. I hope she gets her billed paid for. All legit medical costs. Then, I hope she gets busted for not wearing her seat belt and not having insurance. Pickett was at fault. She was at fault. Seems like the most fair outcome.

I'm running with: she aimed for him hoping for a big payday. She kept driving up and down Lombardi waiting for a player to make a mistake.
:D

[MJZiggy]

To get your vehicle registered (your plate - or sticker) you must produce proof of insurance and that your vehicle is safety inspected.

TOUGH LAWS - but 100% on the biscuit !!

Yeah, I've heard of states here requiring that you show proof of insurance before getting your annual registration stickers, but how many get insurance and them immediately cancel it after getting their stickers?

The laws are only tough if they are enforced. Why isn't this lady getting fined up the wazoo for not wearing seatbelts and not having insurance?

Where I am, if your insurance lapses for any reason, the ins company reports it to the state. You even have to cancel the registration on your car before you can cancel the insurance.

[GBRulz]

Boy has this turned around. I hope she gets her billed paid for. All legit medical costs. Then, I hope she gets busted for not wearing her seat belt and not having insurance. Pickett was at fault. She was at fault. Seems like the most fair outcome.

I'm running with: she aimed for him hoping for a big payday. She kept driving up and down Lombardi waiting for a player to make a mistake.
:D

Might not be a bad analogy, Harv!

This has turned around because the fact that she was in violation of breaking laws really puts a damper on her having a case to sue.

I think most of us are on the same page though... I do think her medical bills should be paid for, but not a penny more. But yes, I do think she should also be fined for breaking laws, which were NOT mentioned when this story first came out.

[Sparkey]

To get your vehicle registered (your plate - or sticker) you must produce proof of insurance and that your vehicle is safety inspected.

TOUGH LAWS - but 100% on the biscuit !!

Yeah, I've heard of states here requiring that you show proof of insurance before getting your annual registration stickers, but how many get insurance and them immediately cancel it after getting their stickers?

The laws are only tough if they are enforced. Why isn't this lady getting fined up the wazoo for not wearing seatbelts and not having insurance?

I don't believe Wisconsin requires mandatory insurance. Illinois does. If you finance a new/used vehicle, the lien holder normally requires collision/comprehensive insurance, but still no personal liability is required.

Lawyers have too love Wisconsin. Litigation is king in this state.

She is trying to make this accident her CASH COW. Funken low life, trailer park trash!

[woodbuck27]

To get your vehicle registered (your plate - or sticker) you must produce proof of insurance and that your vehicle is safety inspected.

TOUGH LAWS - but 100% on the biscuit !!

Yeah, I've heard of states here requiring that you show proof of insurance before getting your annual registration stickers, but how many get insurance and them immediately cancel it after getting their stickers?

The laws are only tough if they are enforced. Why isn't this lady getting fined up the wazoo for not wearing seatbelts and not having insurance?

We have to endure Police road checks alot in New Brunswick - on the outskirts of Cities, just to ensure motorists are in compliance with their driving privalege. The cost of the fines may at first weigh in favor of not maintaining Insurance coverage at first conviction but after that - another conviction that removes your driving privalege HURTS !

The Population of the Province of New Brunswick (2005 Census = 758,000 people) allows for those strict laws, as you are soon - KNOWN to the Authorities !! They are on the watch.

[GBRulz]

I don't believe Wisconsin requires mandatory insurance. Illinois does. If you finance a new/used vehicle, the lien holder normally requires collision/comprehensive insurance, but still no personal liability is required.

Lawyers have too love Wisconsin. Litigation is king in this state.

She is trying to make this accident her CASH COW. Funken low life, trailer park trash!

If she has enough cash to cover herself in the event of a crash, then no, legally she does not have to have auto insurance.

Wisconsin has a financial responsibility law. It is designed to make sure that any motorist licensed to drive in Wisconsin has insurance or enough money to pay for damages to others that may be caused by a motor vehicle. These requirements may be met through a motor vehicle liability insurance policy, a surety bond, personal funds, or certificate of self-insurance.

So, maybe she is really loaded and has stocks and bonds in lieu of auto insurance!! :roll:

[woodbuck27]

To get your vehicle registered (your plate - or sticker) you must produce proof of insurance and that your vehicle is safety inspected.

TOUGH LAWS - but 100% on the biscuit !!

Yeah, I've heard of states here requiring that you show proof of insurance before getting your annual registration stickers, but how many get insurance and them immediately cancel it after getting their stickers?

The laws are only tough if they are enforced. Why isn't this lady getting fined up the wazoo for not wearing seatbelts and not having insurance?

Where I am, if your insurance lapses for any reason, the ins company reports it to the state. You even have to cancel the registration on your car before you can cancel the insurance.

That will do it !

[the_idle_threat]

We have to endure Police road checks alot in New Brunswick - on the outskirts of Cities, just to ensure motorists are in compliance with their driving privalege.

We have this in the states ... it's called DWB.

[woodbuck27]

We have to endure Police road checks alot in New Brunswick - on the outskirts of Cities, just to ensure motorists are in compliance with their driving privalege.

We have this in the states ... it's called DWB.

DWB = Dumb wod bwock? :mrgreen:

[GBRulz]

Drunk White Boys?

[the_idle_threat]

Driving While Black :shock:

[MadtownPacker]

I was recently in a lil fender bender myself but sadly it was not a NFL player. :sad:

The skank should just be happy to get her bills paid and have a lil cash to get another hooptie.

[Rastak]

Boy has this turned around. I hope she gets her billed paid for. All legit medical costs. Then, I hope she gets busted for not wearing her seat belt and not having insurance. Pickett was at fault. She was at fault. Seems like the most fair outcome.

I'm running with: she aimed for him hoping for a big payday. She kept driving up and down Lombardi waiting for a player to make a mistake.
:D


LOL, that might work.......burn a whole tank of gas driving around and around waiting waiting waiting, then BAM.

:lol:

[woodbuck27]

Yaaa Think ???

[esoxx]

"There are plenty of attorneys that still will be more than happy to try this case. Which probably won't cost the lady anything, especially from one just trying to get exposure."

Any attorney would want this case b/c it's a slam dunk liability issue against Pickett. Wisconsin is a Compartive Negligence state...that is..if one party is more than 50% responsible for the accident, they're going to pay (actually their ins policy is). If it was determined there was 51% at fault on one party, they would receive 51% of the total settlement (e.g. $10,000 settlement, they get $5,100). This is why there is a lot of haggling between insurance companies, trying to gather evidence that the other party was more responsible for the accident. In this case, given that Pickett was cited, he will have the lion's share of assignable negligence.

Since he's more at fault, it's an easy case for an attorney. Basically, he's not arguing WHO is at fault, he's only agruing HOW MUCH the settlement will be. And yes, he will get his 1/3rd of the settlement proceeds, you can bank on that.

What Pickett's insurance carrier will agrue is the injured parties failed to mitigate their loss by not wearing seat belts (at least three of the four). For those not found to be wearing the belts, they will use that to diminish the settlement figure as an arguing point.

I don't see this as a case they will ultimately want to take the court (the alleged victim and her unnamed attorney). As it is a "damages" case, the attorney is not going to want to drain the settlement with court costs and time spent prepraring for trial. Plus, given that the jurisdicition is filled with so called hard working, conservative people who are tight with the dime, the jury pool is not likely to hand out big awards (such as you might see in Cali, NY, etc...) Attorneys are well aware of this.

At trial, the comments made by Ms. Young would likely be used against her, if the injuries didn't turn out to square with reality. It would show her litigious mindset from the beginning. She would have been much better served keeping a low profile and her mouth shut. Much better served.

[the_idle_threat]

All great points, esoxx.

Here is a question for anyone who might have a idea ... if Pickett's attorney (or more likely, his Insurance Co's attorney) has an expert witness who can testify that the injuries should have been minimal or non-existent if the plaintiffs had been driving at the speed limit and wearing seatbelts, do you think Pickett walks, paying only for the damaged vehicle ... or is the cause of injuries (plaintiff's negligence) secondary to the cause of the accident itself (defendant's negligence)?

[mraynrand]

Excuse me Mr. Esoxx, but I've been arrested for shooting an attendant at the 'Sack 'o Suds' convenience store and my lawyer has both a terrible speech impediment and atrocious legal training. How would I go about hiring you? You would have to be familiar with the Alabama legal code, since the Judge is a stickler for procedure.

[esoxx]

Idle, Pickett's not going to walk on this. But yes, his ins carrier will try to gather witness statements to try and assess whether the Young vehicle was speeding. If it can be reasonably determined the speed was in excess of the posted limit of 35mph, they will use that to lessen Pickett's assignable negligence. It may go from 85% to 70%, depending on speed. Of course, if a lawsuit were filed his ins carrier likely would have an expert do accident reconstruction and engineering testing to determine force of impact and how much the injuries would be mitigated as a result of wearing seat belts. That would be dependent on what type of injuries actually exist (or are claimed) and if such testing were worth it in the grand scheme of things.

Still, the bottom line is Pickett has the majority of "negligence" per se, in that he pulled out from a stop sign into the path of an oncoming vehicle.

Again, at this point they will argue about % of assignable negligence on each party and then once that's established talk settlement. As far as her vehicle, I'm not sure what a '94 Spirit or whatever the hell it was is worth, but not much. Especailly after the negligence split is taken off. Say 80% of $500. Not much there. Big potential is on the General Damages in this case, ie, pain & suffering, emotional trauma, etc..

[GBRulz]

If this lady is willing to settle for medical costs, lost wages, etc, minus the calculated costs of if she were wearing a seat belt, then Pickett should def do that. However, if she is simply trying to be a gold-digger - then make her go through the courts. I don't see a jury from GB awarding a substantial amount of money to a woman who drives with her own daughter in the car without seat belts and without insurance.

[esoxx]

Excuse me Mr. Esoxx, but I've been arrested for shooting an attendant at the 'Sack 'o Suds' convenience store and my lawyer has both a terrible speech impediment and atrocious legal training. How would I go about hiring you? You would have to be familiar with the Alabama legal code, since the Judge is a stickler for procedure.

It depends on how many "youtes" are involved in the alleged crime. :mrgreen:

[the_idle_threat]

Still, the bottom line is Pickett has the majority of "negligence" per se, in that he pulled out from a stop sign into the path of an oncoming vehicle.



See, here is where I might disagree. If the defendant can prove that the plaintiff's injuries---which are the bulk of the lawsuit, and the primary cause of the lost wages, pain & suffering, etc.---were preventable in this type of collision by her going the speed limit and wearing a seatbelt (and I grant this is a BIG "if"), then the fault for those particular damages should be more hers than his. In this type of situation, the collision did not cause her injuries (and resulting lost wages, pain and suffering, etc.) ... her own negligence did.

I don't know if this argument would fly in court, but it is empirically true.

[esoxx]

I hear what you're saying Idle. However, first with the speeding issue...she will get dinged on the split if it were determined she was exceeding the speed limit. However, since he had the stop sign he has to make sure path is clear to pull out safely, he was cited, and it will be very difficult to prove he was less repsonsible from a liability standpoint. Also, I haven't seen any reports suggesting Young was racing down the street before the accident.

The seat belt issue is a different animal. Failure to wear seat belts is NOT assessed against the negligence split for the accident. That is, the seat belt use, or lack thereof, wasn't the proximate cause of the accident...Pickett pulling out into her path from a stop sign was. Thus, seat belt use isn't assessed in the negligence split. BUT, it is used to show the plantiff failed to MITIGATE the loss by not wearing them.

It would be hard, if not impossible, for Pickett's carrier to argue there would be NO injuries if not for the fact the occupants were wearing seat belts. I haven't seen the photos of either vehicle but it's my understanding there's some pretty good damage and there was some heavy impact. The plantiff attorney would likely argue that it's reasonable to assume some injuries would have occurred regardless, perhaps more of the soft tissue variety such as whiplash and such. Those type of injury claims can also be quite vexing b/c you can't see them on x-ray or MRI and have potential to be milked.

I'm not sure which of the occupants was wearing a seat belt out of the four, but weren't they all injured in some manner? This would bolster plantiff attorney theory that injuries would have occurred regardless. He/she will pound that angle.

My opinion is this will never see a courtroom and will get settled. Defense is on hook for majority split of liability and, even though jury makeup is more conservative in GB area, still face potential for big jury award. Believe it or not, there's a lot of people in GB still pissed about paying the stadium tax. Get enough of those on the jury and maybe they see it as a way to stick it back to the Packers via the award. Who knows. Point is you never know with a jury.

Plantiff attorney has motive to settle b/c of seat belt issue and choice comments made by client from hospital bed, as well as their own time/cost issues.

[the_idle_threat]

I agree it will likely be settled, and IMO not for a lot of money. I don't see a lot of lost wages and/or pain and suffering $$$ here.

The big takeaways for all of us are 1) Look before you go 2) Defensive driving and 3) Seatbelts

Thanks for the interesting insight, esoxx. :cool:

[esoxx]

You know, I just realized something. On a Fri night back in the day, I would be at some club, chattin' up some ladies and having a good ol' time with a drink in my hand. Now I'm writing a book on liability splits and mitigating damages. Yes, a mid-life crisis has set in. Excuse me while I go hang myself.

[GBRulz]

You know, I just realized something. On a Fri night back in the day, I would be at some club, chattin' up some ladies and having a good ol' time with a drink in my hand. Now I'm writing a book on liability splits and mitigating damages. Yes, a mid-life crisis has set in. Excuse me while I go hang myself.

next thing you'll know is that Esoxx will be telling us about the new Corvette he just bought. AKA, mid-life crisis or small man syndrome car :wink:

[Scott Campbell]

next thing you'll know is that Esoxx will be telling us about the new Corvette he just bought. AKA, mid-life crisis or small man syndrome car :wink:


Don't be so sexist Michele. At lease men aren't getting boob jobs and botox injections (John Kerry excluded).

:razz:

[GBRulz]

well, maybe some should seriously consider it....

WARNING: This link contains an image of man boobs...

http://www.media-post.net/mob4.jpg

[Brohm]

http://www.media-post.net/mob4.jpg

:shock:

So not right :lol:

[Oscar]

Gawd Dayum :lol:

[esoxx]

next thing you'll know is that Esoxx will be telling us about the new Corvette he just bought. AKA, mid-life crisis or small man syndrome car :wink:


Don't be so sexist Michele. At lease men aren't getting boob jobs and botox injections (John Kerry excluded).

:razz:

No 'vette in the works at this time. However, I was thinking about botox injections for the nut sack. Take it from it's wrinkled natural state to as smooth as a cue ball. Bet the wife would love that. A man can dream, can't he?

[GBRulz]

Not touching that one, Esoxx :lol:

[esoxx]

My wife probably wouldn't either. :mrgreen: